Understanding Stretch Marks
To understand stretch marks you first need to know about the layers of skin. There are 3 layers of skin, the epidermis (outer layer), the dermis (middle layer), and the subcutaneous stratum (innermost layer). Stretch marks happen in the middle layer, the dermis. It is the middle layer, the dermis that helps the skin retain its shape. When the dermis loses support it can be prone to stretch marks because it is less elastic. Stretch marks can appear more often in areas of the body where deposits of fat are stored. These areas can include the abdomen, especially near the belly button, breasts, your upper arms, underarms, the inner and outer thigh, hips and your buttocks. Stretch marks do not cause any risk to you or to your health and they do not compromise in any way your body’s ability to function or for the skin to repair itself.
Pregnancy is a common time for women to develop stretch marks. In fact 75% – 90% of all pregnant women will develop stretch marks during their pregnancy. Usually they appear during the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy.
When stretch marks first appear they are reddish to purple in color. They will gradually fade over time to a lighter color, silver or white. Stretch marks are soft to the touch. They can run in any different direction and be of different lengths. If you have stretch marks during a pregnancy and then in a later pregnancy the same stretch mark can become longer.
Stretch marks can happen at times other than during pregnancy. They can happen to men and women. Stretch marks can occur when there is a sudden weight gain or sudden weight loss. You can also get stretch marks if you put on an excessive amount of weight.
There are a lot of creams, lotions and oils being promoted locally and on the Internet that state they can help reduce or even prevent stretch marks. Be wary of any claim that sounds too good to be true. Always search for information about ingredients, and studies that may have been done to back up the claims made regarding such products. One study found that a daily application of Gotu Kola extract, vitamin E, and collagen hydrolysates did significantly reduce the occurrence of stretch marks in women who were deemed to be susceptible to developing stretch marks during pregnancy. This was a double blind trial that was reported in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science (13, 51-57). Various medical and surgical treatments are available for stretch marks. These treatments are seen as cosmetic and are usually not covered by insurance. These treatments may include laser treatments, dermabrasion or prescription retinoids. Cocoa butter is a popular ingredient in stretch mark creams and lotions. One surgical procedure is called the tummy tuck and is performed on the lower abdominal area where it is common to see stretch marks. There is something called laser resurfacing, which is a relatively new approach to treating stretch marks. Dermatologic Surgery involves using radiofrequency combined with 585-nm pulsed dye laser treatment for a 89.2% improvement rate out of 37 patients as reported in the Dermatol Surg 33 (1): 29 – 34.
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